Job Search: Revl, New Website, Promises to Help Job Seekers Stand Out

Job seekers complain that it's impossible to stand out on online job boards; employers say that if they post a job, they get inundated with resumes from people who aren't remotely qualified. And it doesn't help when the unemployment rate is 7.7 percent.

Into this mess steps Revl, a new website that says if it succeeds, you'll be able to post a vivid profile of yourself -- and the jobs will come to you.

"We believe that people are more than just a paper resume, and we will make sure that they stand out from the crowd," said Revl's 32-year-old CEO, Dennis Albinus. "How you can do that is with achievements, projects, photos, and videos. And instead of spending hours and hours searching on the Web for relevant jobs on job boards, well, we say, just fill in the right skill sets and then we serve you relevant jobs each day on your own dashboard."

The Web is crowded with online employment sites, from CareerBuilder to Indeed to Monster. LinkedIn looms large, though it's largely for business networking, and Facebook has gotten into the field, too. Albinus, who started out as a recruiter, said many companies simply search on Google, and find themselves drowning in names.

The problem for you, the job hunter, is turning yourself from a listing into a human being -- a person companies will hire instead of a file they can discard. Albinus says the idea behind Revl is for you to create an online profile, including pictures, videos, personal interests and so forth, along with key words that will help employers find you by searching.

Can it work? Michelle Goodman, who writes about workplace issues, including for ABC News, said it certainly catches the social media wave, but human resources offices at some firms may be afraid of it.

"I know many HR professionals remain wary of checking a candidate's online profile(s) and social media feeds, for fear of learning personal details about them -- or even their appearance -- that could be seen as adding bias to the interview process," she said. "In other words, they don't want to do anything to give the impression of partiality because they don't want to be sued by a candidate who claims they weren't hired because of their race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, disability, etc.

"That said," she concluded, "I do think that among younger companies, startups, tech companies and companies hiring a social media person, turning to a site like this to learn more about a candidate would be a natural choice."

Revl says it's aiming at younger people, especially those who feel they have accomplishments they can highlight, but not a long track record on a standard resume.

"That means that you have a broader skill set than just the work experience that you have," Albinus said. "That's the goal. To show who you really are."